Inerrancy and the Gospels

by Vern Sheridan Poythress

Serious Bible readers all recognize that there are differences between accounts of the same events in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and no responsible reader can simply sweep these differences under the rug. But can all of the accounts still be reconciled with a belief in biblical inerrancy? Responding to the questions surrounding the gospel narratives, New Testament scholar Vern Poythress contributes a worthy case for inerrancy in the gospels and helps readers understand basic principles for harmonization. He also tackles some of the most complicated exegetical problems, showing the way forward on passages that have perplexed many, such as the centurion's servant, the cursing of the fig tree, and more. All those interested in the authority of Scripture will find in this volume great encouragement and insight as Poythress has provided an arresting case to stem the tide of skepticism.

Genres: Theology, Biblical Studies, Christianity, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Vern Sheridan Poythress was born in 1946 in Madera, California, where he lived with his parents Ransom H. Poythress and Carola N. Poythress and his older brother Kenneth R. Poythress. After teaching mathematics for a year at Fresno State College (now California State University at Fresno), he became a student at Westminster Theological Seminary, where he earned an M.Div. (1974) and a Th.M. in apologetics (1974). He received an M.Litt. in New Testament from University of Cambridge (1977) and a Th.D. in New Testament from the University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa (1981).

He has been teaching in New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia since 1976. In 1981 he was ordained as a teaching elder in the Reformed Presbyterian Church Evangelical Synod, which has now merged with the Presbyterian Church in America.

More information about his teaching at Westminster can be found at the Westminster Seminary website.

Dr. Poythress studied linguistics and Bible translation at the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Norman Oklahoma in 1971 and 1972, and taught linguistics at the Summer Institute of Linguistics in the summers of 1974, 1975, and 1977. He has published books on Christian philosophy of science, theological method, dispensationalism, biblical law, hermeneutics, Bible translation, and Revelation. A list of publications is found on this website.

Dr. Poythress married his wife Diane in 1983, and they have two children, Ransom and Justin. He has side interests in science fiction, string figures, volleyball, and computers.

The family lived on a farm until he was five years old. When he was nine years old he made a public commitment to Christ and was baptized in Chowchilla First Baptist Church, Chowchilla, California. The family later moved to Fresno, California, and he graduated from Bullard High School in Fresno.

He earned a B.S. in mathematics from California Institute of Technology (1966) and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University (1970).

Reviews

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not exactly what I'd expected, but the better for it. Poythress mainly seeks to explore the attitudes and worldview behind inerrancy and harmonisation, more-so than to examine each specific case. Whilst he does grapple with issues of harmonisation across several shared Synoptic pericopes, he uses this as a basis to present how we should approach 'difficulties' in these accounts. He notes that the written accounts, like any accounts, are 'sparse' meaning that we only have limited rather than extensive detail. He notes that often the Gospels writers, as with much eyewitness testimony, represent speech in a manner which is truthful, whilst also not necessarily verbatim. Yet he helpfully points out that the accounts we receive from the inspired authors are still inerrant, and wholly God's word, even whilst they may or may not be quotations. (He notes, on the other hand, that speech that is rendered verbatim might indeed be misrepresented in some cases, as Satan does whilst tempting Jesus in the wilderness by quoting scripture.)

Poythress makes a convincing, and challenging, case that we should approach difficulties in the Gospels (and by implication, scripture more broadly) with a humility that our knowledge is limited, trusting that God has conveyed the exact words he intended through his inspired human authors. We must not approach the text with an intention to 'disprove God' or 'find the text behind the text' etc. Yet, whilst drawing on the writings of Augustine, Calvin, and others, Poythress shows that there are still viable and convincing harmonisations that can be made between many accounts. Would recommend for anyone interested in the questions of inerrancy or harmonisation!

[Joshua Schwisow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book that addresses the question of gospel harmonization from a believing perspective, in submission to the Word of God. But this does not mean Poythress is artificial, simplistic, or strained in his approach. He leads the way on how to wisely navigate the variations in the Gospel accounts in faith and humility.

[Jon Vos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read enough Poythress by now to expect his writing style and thought process. I appreciated this book, and found it helpful with interpretation, apologetics, theology, and even piety.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The challenge of harmonizing the various Gospel accounts is one that has been recognized and addressed by the church since its early days. Poythress approaches the task as one who already believes that the accounts are all true and inspired by God. He does not wonder 'if' the accounts can be reconciled. He believes that they can be because they are God's word and God never contradicts himself. From that position of faith he seeks to help the reader understand the challenges of harmonization and spends quite a bit of the book addressing specific passages from the Gospels and various ways they could be harmonized.

One of the key insights from this book for me was how a 'mental picture theory of truth' complicates and at times works against our understanding of how the Gospels can be harmonized. When we read a story we 'see' it a certain way in our mind. But that is not necessarily the way it happened. If another account contradicts what we 'saw' that is not the same as contradicting what it said. Its a simple insight, but one that is quite helpful.

A worthy book, well written, and full of insight.

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciate when books on heady subjects are written clearly and well, and Poythress did an excellent job of explaining confusing and difficult apparent problems within the Bible.

[Adam Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What should you do when you encounter discrepancies between the gospel accounts? Well, one thing you should probably do is read this book and praise God for the wisdom Poythress imparts through it. This is a concisely comprehensive treatment of the main issues in gospel harmonisation and historicity, worked through with multiple examples. Poythress has a great gift in communicating complex ideas in a straightforward way, and he offers many helpful insights into the nature of communication, especially his challenge of the "mental-picture theory."

The main value in this book - in contrast with some other books on this topic - is that Poythress is not so much interested in having the right answers as having the right attitude. He's concerned with the "why" of harmonisation as well as the "how." So, asks Poythress, "Do we want to understand the Gospels for the sake of the glory of God and to love Christ more, or do we want to look better and wiser in our own eyes and in the eyes of admirers?" An important question indeed. Thanks, Vern.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poythress does a very nice job pinning down what is meant by "inerrancy", including impreciseness and variation. He pulls from multiple sources to show how to resolve particular passages. The parts that could have been condensed we're the chapters in Attitudes section. This could have allowed more opportunity to cover more passages.

[Kevin Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, insightful, and pastoral. Postgres’s repeatedly reminded us of our finitude and our need to trust our God while also instructing us in numerous ways to think about the inerrancy of the Gospels. As my soon-to-be best man says, this book is a must read to help us understand how language works and how God employed the languages He created to communicate His message to His people.

[SusanwithaGoodBook · Rating 4 out of 5]

One last book on this topic for me. McGrew mentioned it in one of her books, so I was just curious about how Poythress would tackle the most difficult harmonization topics. I was very pleased with his respectful, but thorough approach. If you're concerned about this topic, you might want to check this one out.

[Josh Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Especially helpful to me was chapter 26 where Poythress went over Augustine’s approach to some harmonization issues in the gospels.

A great read for those looking for explanations of specific textual variances or an overall approach when doing your own due diligence

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for class. I feel like the first two thirds of the book could have been distilled into a few chapters on his academic worldview and theories. The final third, actually looking at passages that seem contradictory, was more helpful.

[Wade Stotts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. The chapters on chronology are weak and undermine what he argues elsewhere, but most of the book is outstanding.

[Christopher Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be quite helpful, especially after reading Bart Ehrman. Poythress offers great harmonizations while also approaching the topic with a humility that I respect.

[David West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poythress presents a high view of Scripture as inspired by God and deals with supposed contradictions in that light. Very helpful.

[Alex Monseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful for comparing the accounts in the gospels and learning about harmonization where things are difficult.

[Edwin Gligor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 star rating

[Andy Ardern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful read. At times I found Poythress a little hard to follow, but that's probably me.

[Sanjuro · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely understand what Poythress was seeking to accomplish. It was a noble task. In fact, many attempts to do the same thing have been made, so this book is not particularly groundbreaking. However, in an effort to protect not only inerrancy, but a particular brand of inerrancy, Poythress continues the long standing evangelical tendency to deny the Bible some of its beauty by trying to make it too clean. Too simple.

Poythress tackles the extensive diversity of readings in the Gospel accounts, and seeks to make sense of the apparent difficulties. However, the error here is in defending the doctrine of inerrancy rather then attempting to accurately exegete and explain the gospel accounts. Despite admitting that the differences in the Gospel accounts are instructive and helpful, his readings of these passages are completely tainted by an attempt to simply squeeze passages into places they are not willing to go and fruitlessly harmonize them. Even as an evangelical, I was left unconvinced by some of his explanations.

I give the book some credit because I do agree with much of what Poythress said, and I think some of his explanations work just fine. However, I was a bit bored with the book, and I struggled with his unwillingness to rest in tension, and to allow for paradox and varied interpretation of the life of Jesus from one Gospel writer to the next. Reading this book, and then a book like James Dunn's "Unity and Diversity in the New Testament," and one has to ask which of the two scholars is being more honest with the texts.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vern Poythress is a brilliant scholar who not only exhibits excellence in the academy, but also displays a pastoral heart that cares to condense weighty things like harmonizing the gospels to a few hundred pages. Poythress manages to take thought from Augustine, Calvin, and Warfield on inerrancy and harmonization and have it make sense to lay people like me. This book is rich with great content that doesn't suffer from too much overblown academic babble: Poythress is to-the-point, clear, and incredibly helpful.

Quite possible the most satisfying thing about this book is that Poythress clearly loves the God of the Bible and doesn't approach harmonization like an arrogant scholar, but a warm pastor who wants people to wrestle with the text in order that they may be further enriched by its truth.

As a kind of "follow up" to 'Inerrancy & Worldview', I would say that this book is much stronger as the scope of the content (harmonizing the gospels) is much easier to approach than a massive, loaded idea like "worldview." I was greatly blessed by this work and know that it will only further enrich my reading of the Evangelists.

"We ought not to seek assurance in our own independently positioned intellectual or critical powers before we commit ourselves to God's care and submit to his voice. A pursuit of security through autonomous criticism presupposes autonomy. It is already intrinsically in rebellion against what we were created to be, children of our heavenly Father."

[Sori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poythress' book is greatly needed. Christians should know their Bibles thoroughly, and this includes a knowledge about how to approach the differences between the Gospels.

I have found his theory about the three aspects of language (variation, contrast, and distribution) to be very useful. To have these three things in mind is a key piece when dealing with difficulties in the Gospel narrations.

I have also enjoyed the third part, "Attitudes in harmonization." Our attitude towards the Word of God, Poythress says - and he is right, is more important than knowing the solutions of the difficulties.

This is how he ends this book:

"It is fitting also... for us to underline the fact that God expects us to trust him because he is worthy of trust, not because we can first of all check things out according to our own standards. We ought not to seek assurance in or own independently positioned intellectual or critical powers before we commit ourselves to God's care and submit to his voice. A pursuit of security through autonomous criticism presupposes autonomy. It is already intrinsically in rebellion against what we were created to be, children of our heavenly Father."

[Hobart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a handy resource -- glad to have this in my library/toolbox.

Not the smoothest read, and the section where Poythress lays out his various principles for harmonization at times feels like a delaying tactic or filler until he hit a page count where he could start working through some Biblical passages (I know that's not the case, it's just the way it struck me at the time).

The examples Poythress gives to illustrate his points are very useful, and in some ways teach his method better than the strictly didactic portions. I'll be returning to these in the future.

Sound methodology, staunch commitment to orthodoxy and innerancy, and devotion to scripture -- Poythress has provided a valuable tool for students and laypersons alike.

[Mark A Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since the first century, the four canonical Gospels have provided apparent discrepancies in the events they report. Poythress not only attempts to harmonize these diverse accounts within the Gospels, he also establishes an interpretive framework that allows the Gospels to speak on their own terms rather than be wedged into modern-day literary conventions. Some accounts can be reconciled and others remain mysterious, but Poythress demonstrates that the trustworthiness and inerrancy of God’s Word remain soundly intact.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to do with apparent discrepancies between various Gospel accounts of the same event? That is what this book addresses. Really opens your mind to how our views of chronology, completeness, quotation, etc. are based in the values of modernity, which the Gospel writers did not share.

Poythress does not claim to have all the answers; he seeks to teach you how to work through these issues so you can tackle various Gospel passages yourself.

I should probably mention that he previously wrote a book on inerrancy that this is somewhat a sequel too. I need to read that too.

[Eddie Mercado · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book and a relatively easy read. Poythress is an engaging author and he made this 200 page book not as heavy which was great given I read this during midterms week. My only issue with the book is that he didn't discuss the harmonization of the crucifixion narratives, which is arguably one of the biggest issues raised by the likes of Erhman et al. But the principles for tackling that issue are found in the book. Apparently, I also read the sequel first, so I look forward to diving into Poythress' first book on Inerrancy soon.

[Victor Chininin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent crash course on the difficulties, purposes, and principles of harmonization. I really appreciated how this book all flows from the key premise that the gospels are the Word of God, and yet God shows Himself to us through language and its contrasts, variations, and distribution. I particularly welcomed the Frame-like three-tiered framework that he used to discuss our attitudes towards harmonization. A recommended read.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent treatment of various passages and how they can be harmonized within an inerrant view of the Bible. Not complete but Poythress refers to his previous book for more discussion on the doctrine of inerrancy.

[Chris Hubbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, valuable book, worthwhile resource. Not particularly groundbreaking but thorough and well worked out.

[Alice Gent · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful and a massive comfort as well as a challenge for my pride. Would highly recommend!